Improvement in brick-machines



DAVID J. HUNTER. Improvement in Brick-Machines.

No. 114,011. PatentedApril25,1871.

jfiairni difioz;

also I state Letters Patent No. 114,011 dated April 25, 1871 v IIMPROVEMENT IN BRICK-MACHINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thema.

:Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements on the Brick-Machine heretofore inventedby; my,

and for which I have received Letters Patent, of the- United States N0.. 96,920,":tnd of which the following is a specification; and I dodeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionof thecon: struction and operation-of the same, reference being had t6 theannexed drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a front elevation Figure 2, a sectional side elevation;

Figure 3, a plan; 7

Figure 4, a plan view of the cam L and the camtable M, both beingmounted on the upright shai't G, the cam L above the cam-table M, theybeing thus combined in the drawing to show their relative position andaction when in motion; and

-- 1 Figure 5, a plan vicw of the cam L, the horizontal plunger J J,which is moved by it, the bar F, which connects its heads, the innerpart d" of 'one of the brick-molds, '1', and the steam-pipes t t, bywhich said molds are lubricated. 1

The original machine is for molding and pressing bricks from clay, andthe object soughtin the present improvements is to obtain the sameresult and in the same general way, but to dispense with many of theparts employed in the original machine, and by the substitution ofothers, fewer in number, to reduce the necessary workingparts tothe-lowest possible Ill1[11bEI,-Etlld thus to gain greater ease inworking, less liability to "derangement, a very large reduction in thecost of construction, and all the advantages which flow iromsimplicityof mechanism.

- The machine as improved consists in the employment of an uprightcylindrical tub, A, mounted upon an elevated platform, supported by astrong frame of proper construction, the interior of the tub beingprovidedwith an upright shaft, armed with knives for agitating andmixing the clay therein, and which shaft carries upon it, near to thebottom of the tub, a gate for alternately opening and shutting twoorifices made through the bottom of the tub at opposite points in itsarea, such gate serving to direct the clay into molds disposed below thebottom of the tub and comnmnicating with these orificesfa horizontalplungel, operated by a suitable mechanism, being combined with each moldto compress the clay within it, and a reciprocating gate, situated atthe outer end of each mold, and serving, at ditferent times, as one sideof the mold, as a platform to receive, when molded and pressed, thebrick as it is expelled from its mold,

and asa carriage to lift thefinished brick to a pointy convenient forits removal by an attendant; also a device for lubricating or sweatingthe molds after the delivery of each brick therefrom.

It is here especially to be borne in mind, as applicable to I thedetailed descrlptionthat is to follow, that this machine as nowdescribed; is a doubleacting'one, so that the entire process relating tothe brick is completed on each half of the machine, and exactly repeatedou-the opposite half and by each half revolution of the uprightshaft,'and that all the parts described as necessary to effect theresult on one side or half of the machine are exactly duplicated in formand situation diametrically opposite onthe other halfor side; and thatforthis reason no special exhibition orexact'and detailed description ofthese duplicated parts or their action on, the side where they are soduplicated is necessary.

In the drawing to which allusion has been made as accompanying thisspecification, and which illustrates my present invention andimprovements, the tub is represented at A as an upright hollow cylinderplaced upon an elevated platform, 0, upheld by upright posts D 'at thecorners thereof, or other suitable frame or structure for supportingthe'operating parts of the-machine.

lVithin the tub A l dispose an upright shaft, G, armed with knives toagitate and mix the clay, which shaft extends through the bottom of thetub A and isstepped within a suitable block, H, erected upon or withinthe substructure of the machine.- i

This shaft is secured-at the top by a journal, a,

working in a four-arm yoke, b, placed abbve the top of the tobA, andproperly secured in its place by iron rods extendingfi'om the end ofeach arm to the platform 0 beneath, or otherwise.

This shaft G, close tothe-bottom of the tub A, carries a segmentalflange or wing, c, which extends to the wall of the tub and revolvesdirectly over the bottom of the tab, the oifice of this flange being todirect portions of the clay alternately into two orifices, d, and itsduplicate made through the bottom of the tab at diametrically oppositepoints, the width and depth of these orifices being the length and widthrespectively desired for thebrick to be made, and of a length suflicientwith the dimensions before given to afford space for clay enough to formthe brick.

The advance portion 0 of the flange c is inclined upward, in order toinsure the passage of clay under One of the molds for producing theperfectly-formed brick, shown at I, and its duplicate on the oppositeside, are situated immediately below the bottom of the tub, and are inalignment with and form continuationsof the orifices dand its duplicatebefore mentioned, and have their onlyother openings upon the front andback side of the machine, the front opening being seen in fig. 1, and ismarked X.

J J is a doubled-headed lunger, playing horizontally within the mold Iand its duplicate, its opposite heads being rigidly'connected by the barF, which straddles the upright shaft G, the necessary movements'of theplunger being efiected by a cam, L, mounted upon said'shaft, anddisposed between and abutting against rollers fitted to each of theinner ends of said plunger.

A revolution of the shaft, by the action of the cam L, producesalternate motions of the plunger into and out of the molds, in themanner shown here..

after.

As the mold I and its duplicate have respectively openings upon thefront and back side of the machine which must be closed to form tightchambers in which the brick may be pressed by the outward advance of theplunger, and which must also heagain opened in order to allow of theexpulsion of the brick from the mold after it has' been properlycompressed therein, I disposeupon the front and back side of themachine,

'- and overeach open mouth of the molds, vertical sliding gates K andits duplicate, supported by and playingin suitable guides'S S, with gibsand set-screws, and furnished with such stems T and its duplicate asafford not only opportunity to aflix such attachments as are necessaryto connect the gates with the camtable M, by which they are operated,but also, by being extended through and playing in suitable orifices inthe bed-plate of the machine, shall keep the gates in theirproperposition, and enable themto move freely and accurately in said guides,and which gates, if

' found necessary or useful in practice, may be countor-balanced.

The proper intermittent movement of these gates, over and away from themold openings, are effected through the agency of the circular cam-tableM, fixed uponthe upright-shaft G, and revolving with the shaft, a planview of which is shown in fig. 4, as well a plan view'of the cam L,which gives alternate forward and backward motion to the double-headedplunger, as before mentioned, this super-position of the .cam L givingalso an accurate representation of the synchronous movement of the cam Land camtable M, when themachine is in operation. A front view-of thecam-table is shown in fig. 1. Th s cam-table M is divided into four.parts, numberedfrom 1 to 4 respectively. Part 1, and much the largestdivision, consists of a horizontal disk, with that part of itscircumferenceforming parts 2, 3, and and 4s depressed for that purpo epart 2, in the order of rotation, a descending plan part 3, a horizontalplane; and part 4, an ascending plane, meeting thehorizontal plane ofpart 1 For the sake ofclearness I will here explain its action. 7

To connect the cam-table with the gate-stems, rollers o 0', oneabovennother, and at right angles to the gate-stems T -i, as seen in.fig. 2, are attached to the inner side of each of the gate-stems at suchdistance apart as to allow the cam-table to play between them, and atsuch points-on the stems that said cam-table shall close bothgates-when. part 1 rests between their rollers on-both stems.

The cam-table is made of snfiicient circumference and thickness'toextend to'and work between the rollers of' the gate-stems upon theopposite sides of the machine at the same time.

The cam-table being put in motion while part1 is passing between therollers, it presents a'horizontal plane of uniform thickness 10- thehorizontal rollers '0 0', and therefore while it is passing between themfirmly in its .place at whatever point it may be; but

down by part 2 till part 4 advances, and, with its as cending planeacting upon the upper roller 0, lifts the gate back to its place.

In completing the revolution of the shaft the same parts are presentedto the parts duplicated on the opposite sideof the machine, andprecisely the same action; is repeated. v Theform of the cam L isexhibited plainly in fig. 5 of the accompanying drawing, and is dividedinto five parts, numbered from 1' to 5 respectively. Part 1 of this camdeparts at a tangent from the axis of the cam to such an extent as, whenin motion, to force forward continuously the horizontal plunger J J intothe mold 1' until it has completely pressed the brick, the initial pointof said part 1' abutting against the inner end of said plunger J when itfirst commences its action. I I I Part .2 has for its curve the arc of acircle concentrio-with the axis of the cam, and whose diameter isslightly less'than the greatest diameter of part 1 that the verticalgate may be relieved of all pressure and be the more easily drawn downby the cam-table to allow of the expulsion of the brick.

; The curve of part 3 departs from the axis of the.

cam at such atangentas to again force forward the plunger and expel thebrick from the mold through its now, open mouth. i I

The curve-ofpart 4' is a continuation of the great est diameter of thepreceding part, and is concentric with the axis of the cam, in order tohold the horizontal plunger in its place till the brick has been carriedby the returning gate to its-place.

The curve o'f part 5' is a semicircle, extending from the initial pointof part 1' to part 4, and having the same diameter as'said initialpoint. The remainder of its boundary is the radial line drawn from thefinal point, in the order of rotation, of part 4, toward the'axialcenter of the cam, till it meets the semicircle aforesaid.

1 This form allows the free retraction of the part of the plunger that,after .the passage of part-4, has completed its office, and allows thecam to repeat its action as the shaft G completes its revolution .upon

the part of the plunger duplicated on the opposite a side ofthe machine.

To lubricate the molds in which the brick is formed, that it may moreeasily be expelled therefrom, 1 contraction of the plunger from'the molda jet of steam shall be admitted into the mold suflicient to accomplishthis purpose.

' Itotary motion is imparted to the shaft G by a beveled gear, R, fixedto the lower part thereof, this gear meshing into and receiving motionfrom a second beveled gear, S, mounted upon the driving-shaft I Theabove comprises the mechanical construction and arrangement of myimproved machine.

Its method of operation is as follows:

I take as a starting point the position of the ma-. chine as shown infig. 2 in the sectional side- ,cleYvation, with the-plunger J drawn backto its furthest point, and the orifice d in the bottom of the tubcompletelyopen, and the vertical gate KT at its highest point andclosing the open mouth of the mold I, and confine the description, forthe reason already given, (that the machine is double-acting,) to thehalf or right side of said fig. 2.

Clay in its crude or raw state, or otherwise, is placed in the tub A inproper quantities, and the machine put in motion.

The clay, by the advance of the revolving wing c, 'is crowded throughthe orifice d in the bottom of the tub A into the first portion d of themold marked I, and by the time the horizontal or rear portion of the thewing c is over and forms a cover to said orifice d,

the cam L, also in motion, forces, by its part 1', the

horizontal plunger j forward, and drives the clay now at 11' into theforward part of the mold I, and, by its increasing curve, continuesforcing the plunger forrelieved of all pressure.

Part 2 of the cam-table, which acts simultaneously with part 2 of thecam L, has, during the passage of part 2' of the cam L, by its act-ionon the rollers 0'0 attached to the gate-stem, drawn down the verticalgate K so that its upper edge is on a line with thebottom of the mold I,which upper edge is so constructed as to afford a sufficient platform toreceive the now finished brick.

Part 3 of the cam L, following part 2', by its increased curve againthrows forward the plunger, which carries before it and entirely out ofthe mold and forward upon the upper edge of the gate the finished brickm.

Simultaneously with this action of part 3-of the cam L the cam-table Mhas passed its part 3 between the rollers o o of the gate-stem, and, byits horizontal plane, held in its place the vertical gate K while thefinished brick was being forced forward upon its upper edge.

The brick now being ready to be lifted to where it can easily beremoved, the earn-table M, by its part 4, its ascending plane acting onthe upper roller 0, lifts the vertical gate back to the point from whichit started with thebrick on upon it, and, in so doing, also closes theopen mouth of the mold I and prepares it to discharge, at the nextrevolution of the shaft, an oifice precisely similar to the one justdescribed.

Duringthis movement of part 4 of the cam-table M, it being necessarythat a smooth surface should be presented to the ascending brick as aguide, and to prevent its abrasion, the curve of part 4' of the cam L,which has moved simultaneously with part 4 of the cam-table M, hassimply held in place, without forward or backward motion, the plunger J,until the vertical gate K has regained the position from which itstarted.

The shaft G has now completed a half revolution, and the action of themachine upon one side is complete.

As already explained, the other half of the machine is an exactduplicate of the half whose construction and method of operation havejust been described.

It is only necessary, therefore, to say that another half revolution ofthe shaft G will also duplicate, upon the side of the machine notdescribed in detail, precisely the same result as that just explained.

It is further to be observed that, if found desirable in practice, thesame constructions may be applied to the other sides of the machine, andfour bricks be produced at. one revolution instead of two. In such casethe driving-power shaft, with its gear pulley, may be applied at onecorner of the machine, or otherwise.

From the foregoing description and compayison with the original machineit will be seen that my improvements consist in employing the horizontalplunger to perform all the offices which in the original machine wereperformed by the horizontal and vertical plnngers combined, by which Iam enabled to. dispense with nearly all the machinery necessary to theiraction, this being eii'ected by substituting the peculiarvshaped cam Lto give to the horizontal plunger all'its motions in place of aneccentric, and in employing the cam-table M to lower and raise thevertical gates which open and shut the molds, in placeof the machinerywhich performed similar oflices in the original machine.

A further improvement is the method I employ to lubricate the molds ateach expulsion of the brick therefrom.

It is further to be observed that, by the present arrangement of the camand cam-table mounted upon the same upright shaft, they may bedisconnected from the shaft and the machine then be used, if necessary,as a mill to pulverize and mix the clay ad -libitum, the other mechanismbeing at rest.

The molds opening upon the sides, and being straight slots, greatfacility is afforded for cleaning them.

I would remark that I am aware that it is not new to mix or temper claywith steam to render the for mer plastic prior to being introduced intomolds; nor is it new to warm or heat molds by steam introduced intochambers contiguous to the molds; but the introduction of a jet of steaminto each mold after the retraction of its plunger, and for the solepurpose of lubricating the mold, I believe to be novel.

Having thus explained the nature, advantages of my improvements,

What I believe to be novel and original with myself, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The molds, formed as described, the peculiarshaped cam L, thehorizontal plunger, and the vertical gates, when all'th'e said parts areconstructed, combined, and arranged together in manner as shown anddescribed.

2. The double-faced cam-table M, formed as described, in combinationwith the vertical gates and their stems, provided with two sets ofguide-rollers, 0' r, as set forth, the whole being arranged andopcrating together in manner as shown and described.

3. The arrangement and combination of the peculiar shaped cam L, thehorizontal plunger, the camtable M, and the vertical and described. I

4. The combination and arrangement of the molds, the peculiar-shaped camL, the horizontal plunger, the cam-table M,'and the vertical gates,substantially as shown and described.

5. A steam -induction pipe, in combination with each mold, when soarranged as to introduce a jet of steam directly into the latter aftereach retraction of its plunger, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The hereinbefore-described machine for molding and pressing bricks,the same consisting of the hopper A, its orifices d d, and shaft G armedwith knives,

and segmental wing c, molds I, I provided with a hori zontal plunger andvertical gates or covers It It, the said gates being operated by acam-table, M, and the plunger by a cam, L, the whole being arrangedwith-- in a suitable frame and operating together as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID JAMES HUNTER. Witnesses:

ISAAC Arms, E. B. Lonme.

operation, and

gates, substantially as shown

